A 44-year-old farmer, Dennis Mawuli Kwame Bedi, has allegedly defrauded a Kumasi-based medical doctor of GH¢7.4 million under the pretense of securing him a United States visa and 1,300 acres of land at Dabala in the Volta Region.
The accused, who is facing four counts of defrauding by false pretense and forgery, is alleged to have befriended the complainant in 2015 under the pretense of being able to secure large tracts of land for investment.
According to a report by The Chronicle newspaper on Friday, September 5, 2025, the complainant, who appeared unsuspecting of Bedi’s alleged operations, agreed to the deal after Bedi presented forged monthly receipts and drafted indentures for 570 acres as proof of progress.
The report further added that Bedi allegedly claimed the land belonged to three families: Torgbui Kwakuvi, Torgbe Degenu V and Torgbe Edem Gali Degenu.
Following the deal, the complainant, according to The Chronicle, made several monetary payments to the accused after he allegedly claimed that Japanese investors were pursuing the land and were willing to purchase it for $540 million.
However, according to the prosecution, the claim was a fabrication aimed at justifying further payments.
Investigations conducted by authorities also revealed that several payments were made to Bedi for various fictitious expenses, including GH¢2,449,700 supposedly for land purchases, GH¢123,000 for documentation, Supreme Court registration, and government “settlements,” and GH¢60,000 to “settle boundary owners,” all between 2015 and 2025.
An additional payment of GH¢22,800 was made by the medical doctor for fuel and government approvals, including taxes and insurance.
The medical doctor also allegedly paid GH¢84,600 for Supreme Court letters and GH¢540,000 in legal fees to “increase the land value.”
The doctor reported the matter to the police after his efforts to locate Bedi or the land failed, prompting an investigation and the subsequent arrest of the accused.
Meanwhile, Bedi has pleaded not guilty to four counts of defrauding by false pretense and forgery, and was granted bail in the sum of GH¢6 million, with four sureties, two of which must be justified.
He has also been barred from traveling outside the court’s jurisdiction and is required to report to the case investigator every two weeks on Wednesdays.
The Charges
Count One: Defrauding by False Pretence – Dennis Bedi is accused of obtaining GH¢7,432,800.00 from Dr Manye Mensah Awuku Dzifah, a Kumasi-based medical doctor, by falsely claiming he could acquire 1,300 acres of land at Dabala for him.
Count Two: Defrauding by False Pretence – In 2024, Bedi allegedly collected GH¢230,000 from the same complainant under the pretext of using his “influence” to secure United States visas for the doctor and his family.
Count Three: Forgery of Documents – Between 2015 and May 2025, Bedi allegedly forged land receipts purporting to be from the Torgbui Kwakuvi Lu family, suggesting land ownership.
Count Four: Forgery of Documents – During the same period, he is also accused of forging receipts in the name of the Torgbui Degenu family, again misrepresenting land ownership.